NFC Players of the Week - Week 8

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NFC Players of the Week - Week 8

Players of the Week/Month2015RegularWeek 08English

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SAINTS QB DREW BREES, BUCCANEERS LB KWON ALEXANDER
&

VIKINGS PR MARCUS SHERELS NAMED NFC PLAYERS OF WEEK
8

Quarterback DREW BREES of the New Orleans Saints, rookie
linebacker KWON ALEXANDER of the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers and punt returner MARCUS
SHERELS of the Minnesota Vikings are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and
Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the eighth week of the 2015
season (October 29, November 1-2), the NFL announced today.

OFFENSE: QB DREW BREES, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Brees tied the NFL single-game
record with seven touchdown passes and completed 39 of 50 passes (78
percent) for 505 yards and a 131.7 passer rating in the Saints’ 52-49 win
over the New York Giants.

Brees and Pro Football Hall of
Famer Y.A. TITTLE (October 28,
1962) are the only players in NFL history to pass for at least 500 yards
and seven touchdowns in a single game.

The game marked the 10th time Brees
has passed for at least five touchdowns in a game, the most in NFL history
(PEYTON MANNING, nine).

Brees, who had a career-high 510
passing yards on November 19, 2006, and BEN ROETHLISBERGER are the only quarterbacks in NFL history
with two games of at least 500 passing yards.

In his 15th season from Purdue,
this is Brees’ 22nd Player of the Week Award and second this season (Week
4).

Since joining the Saints in 2006,
Brees has won 20 Player of the Week Awards, the most in franchise history.
During that span, Brees’ 20 Player of the Week Awards are the most in the
NFL.

Brees is one of three players to
win at least 20 Player of the Week Awards, joining Manning (27) and TOMBRADY (25).

DEFENSE: LB KWON ALEXANDER, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Alexander had a game-high 11
tackles, one interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the
Buccaneers’ 23-20 overtime win at Atlanta.

His forced fumble and fumble
recovery – on the same play – set up a Tampa Bay field goal. Alexander’s
interception, which he returned 15 yards to midfield, led to a Buccaneers
touchdown.

Alexander is the first Buccaneers
player to record an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in
the same game since JOHN LYNCH
on November 24, 1996.

Alexander is the first rookie
linebacker in the NFL to have an interception, a forced fumble and a
fumble recovery in a single game since DE MECO RYANS on December 3, 2006.

In his rookie year from Louisiana
State, this is Alexander’s first career Player of the Week Award.

Alexander is the first Buccaneers
rookie to be named Defensive Player of the Week since SANTANA DOTSON in 1992 (Week 4).

SPECIAL TEAMS: PR MARCUS SHERELS, MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Sherels
had a 65-yard punt-return touchdown in the Vikings’ 23-20 win at Chicago.

With
the Vikings trailing 3-0 in the first quarter, Sherels got the Vikings on the
board with a 65-yard punt-return touchdown to give Minnesota a 7-3 lead.

He
finished the game with 77 punt-return yards, the most in the NFL in Week 8. He
also added a special teams tackle.

Since
2012, Sherels has three punt-return touchdowns, tied for the most in the NFL.
During that span, Sherels’ 1,126 punt-return yards are the most in the league.

This
season, Sherels ranks third in the NFC averaging 11.5 yards per punt return.

In
his fifth season from Minnesota, this is Sherels’ first career Player of the
Week Award.

He is the first punt returner in franchise
history to win Special Teams Player of the Week.

2015 NFC PLAYERS OF THE
WEEK

​

Offense

Defense

Special Teams

Wk 1

WR Julio
Jones, Atlanta

DT Aaron
Donald, St. Louis

PR-WR Tavon
Austin, St. Louis

Wk 2

WR Larry
Fitzgerald, Arizona

LB Sean Lee,
Dallas

KR-RB David Johnson,
Arizona

Wk 3

QB Aaron
Rodgers, Green Bay

S Tyrann
Mathieu, Arizona

PR-RB Darren
Sproles, Philadelphia

Wk 4

QB Drew
Brees, New Orleans

CB Josh
Norman, Carolina

K Robbie
Gould, Chicago

Wk 5

QB Eli
Manning, New York Giants

DE Fletcher
Cox, Philadelphia

PR Bobby
Rainey, Tampa Bay

Wk 6

WR Calvin
Johnson, Detroit

DT Kawann
Short, Carolina

LB Michael
Mauti, New Orleans

Wk 7

QB Kirk
Cousins, Washington

DE Michael
Bennett, Seattle

KR Dwayne
Harris, New York Giants

Wk 8

QB Drew
Brees, New Orleans

LB Kwon
Alexander, Tampa Bay

PR Marcus
Sherels, Minnesota

​Other
nominees for NFC Offensive Player of Week 8 as submitted by NFC clubs:

St. Louis running back TODD GURLEY, who rushed for 133
yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ 27-6 win over San Francisco.

Atlanta wide receiver JULIO JONES, who had 12 catches
for 162 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ overtime loss to Tampa Bay.

New York Giants quarterback ELI MANNING, who completed 30 of
41 passes (73.2 percent) for 350 yards with six touchdowns and no
interceptions for a 138.2 passer rating in the Giants’ loss at New
Orleans.

Arizona quarterback CARSON PALMER, who completed 23 of
38 passes (60.5 percent) for 374 yards with four touchdowns and an
interception for a 117.7 passer rating in the Cardinals’ 34-20 win at
Cleveland.

Other
nominees for NFC Defensive Player of Week 8 as submitted by NFC clubs:

Carolina safety KURT COLEMAN, who had eight
tackles, an interception and three passes defensed in the Panthers’ 29-26
overtime win against Indianapolis.

Arizona safety RASHAD JOHNSON, who had an interception and two tackles.

Carolina linebacker LUKE KUECHLY, who had 14 tackles,
an interception and three passes defensed.

Other
nominees for NFC Special Teams Player of Week 8 as submitted by NFC clubs:

Tampa Bay kicker CONNOR BARTH, who converted all
three field-goal attempts, including the game-winner in overtime.

New Orleans kicker KAI FORBATH, who converted the
game-winning 50-yard field goal as time expired and made all seven PAT
attempts.

St. Louis punter JOHNNY HEKKER, who averaged 54.5
yards per punt with a 49.8-yard net average and placed four punts inside
the 20-yard line.

Minnesota kicker BLAIR WALSH, who converted all
three field-goal attempts, including the game-winner as time expired.